Cycle-car.



A. E. PARNACOTT.

CYCLE GAR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY z3. 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

A, E. PARNAGOTT.

CYGLE GAR. v APPLICATION IILBD MAY 23, 1913. 1,094,094, PatentedA131221, 1914. f 2 sHEBTssHBET 2.

.4 f7' f f/ y JY `\J` v 1/ I l l 6 C I l 0 d j i ,al Y d l i .7 y f a lALFRED E. PARNACOTT, F PENGE, LONDON, ENGLAND.

CYCLE-CAB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed May 23, 1913. Serial No. 769,389. l

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALFRED EQMUND PAnNAco'i'r, of Penge Lane, Penge, 1nthe county of London, Kingdom of England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in lCycle-Cars, of which the follow-ing is aspecification. 0

This invention relates to motorroad vev hicles particularly of the cyclecar type and to light strong tradesmens delivery vans or other vehicleswhere lightness and strength combined a e of importance.

The objects of the invention are to eliminate all unnecessary deadweight on the road wheels, to avoid those lateral stresses sodestructive to tires which are set up by the unevenness of the roadsurface, and the natural tendency of all masses to oscillate about theircenters to provide a spring suspension that shall insure easy runningand enable solid tires to be adapted where de-I sired without setting upundue vibration in or shortening the life of the mechanism and generallyto simplify the construction and to provide a cheap and thoroughlyreliable car.

Now according to this invention the main frame of the car consists of acentrally disposed longitudinal hollow frame or structure which extendsthe full distance between the axles and incloses the differential.change gear and transmission from the change Vgear to the differentialbesides supporting the engine body and other parts of the car. Attachedto each end of the hollow frame are an upper and lower transversespring, one at the bottom and theother at the top. The free ends of therear springs are connected by T pieces on the horizontal arms of whichare mounted to revolve the rear wheels, but in such a manner as tomaintain the wheels parallel in plan. The wheels are driven from thedifferential by universally jointed shafts passing betwen the twosprings and through the horizontal arms. For the front wheels the Tpieces 'are mounted between the ends of the springs which are mounted torotate on an inclined pivot. The engine is mounted transversel to thecar, and is geared through a clutc and chain gear to a cross countershaft. 1

My invention is more particularly described hereinafter with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in whichz Figures 1 and 2 are side andrear end elevation respectively of a cycle car constructed according tothis invention, the body being indicated by broken lines, and Fig. 3 isa part plan view thereof. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing theconnections of the springs to the axles of the wheels.

The central hollow frame a may be made of wood, but is preferably asshown, pressedA out of sheetr metal the main portion consisting of atrough-like structure formed from a single sheet, the top edges beingflanged as shown at a1 to facilitate the lixing thereto of the floor,body, engine, springs and other parts, and to stien this part of theframe which is subjected to con pression stresses. Further the frame isbraced at both ends, a suitable plate'being inserted `for that purposein the forward end, and tie rods a2 in the rear end. At opposite ends ofthe hollow frame a upper and lower springs b b1 are fixed the rearsprings being held by clips c which are passed through holes intheflanges a1 and secured by nuts, lshort bedding plates bein interposedbetween the springs b b1 and rame a. At the rear the springs areconnected by the T pieces orspiders 0E whose horizontal arms d arehollow and form journals upon which the rear wheels are mounted torotate being driven from the differential e. through universally jointedshafts f which extend through the journals d1 and are connected byuniversal joints with the wheel hubs or caps g. The hub is pressed outof sheet metal to form thev part for the universal joint and the wheelis secured to the journal on the 'spider by the end of the cardan'. I twill be seen that ballbearingsh are provided in the frame a between theuniversal joints i and the differential casing.

In the front of the frame the sprin s are embraced by swiveling clips c1whic are shown mounted to rotate on an inclined pivot j which forms thesteering pivot for the front wheels. These wheels are mounted to revolveon T pieces or spiders d1 fixed tothe ends of the springs. The spidersmay be pressed out of sheet metal.

The engine cylinder 7c indicated conventionally in the Vdrawings isbolted directly to the frame a the fly wheel, clutches, chains or otherconnections to the differential gear being housed `in the hollow frame ato the interior of which access is afforded by removable covers.

It will be seen that the provision of a central hollow frame inclosmgthe transmission mechanism and which can be cheaply pressed to shape indies avoids fitting, alining and such costs. The pairs of transversesprings in effect form with their end fittings approximateparallelograms which insure independence .of movement to the wheels,that is to say one wheel drop` ping into a depression doesnot lift itsfellow, nor dash it immediately after on the ground, with the consequentvariation of the tire diameter accompanied by a lateral movement of thetire on the road. It will also be evident thatthe arrangement of thecardan shafts passing freely through thehollowr journals to the roadwheels gives greater length of shaft, and therefore less Aangularitythan in known constructions, and

avoids a separate bearing.

-That I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.- In a motor vehicle, a central hollow longitudinally v`extendingframe, transmission mechanism inclosed in said frame, a pair ofvertically spaced parallel springs arranged transversely of the vehicleand secured to each end of said frame, fittings connecting the ends ofeach pair of springs,

said fittings each having hollow journals extending laterally outwardtherefrom,

wheels rotatably mounted on said journals,

Cardam shafts connected with said transmission mechanism and passingthrough said hollow journals and universal joints connecting the .freeends of said shafts with the outer ends of the wheel hubs.

2. In a motor vehicle having wheels, the combination of a supportingframe, springs and lfittings connected to form parallelograms secured tosaid frame, said parallelograms having hollow journals extendingoutwardly from their opposite ends on which said wheels are mounted torotate, Cardan shafts extending through said journals and universaljoints connecting said shafts with said wheels.

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination of -a `supporting frame,parallelograms secured to said frame and comprising pairs of spacedtransversely arranged springs, T- shaped fittings the heads of whichconnect the ends of said springs, the stems of said fittings beingyhollow and extending laterally outward, wheels mounted to rotate onsaid hollow stems, Cardan shafts extending through said stems andconnected by universal joints with said wheel hubs and means for drivingsaid shafts.

4. In a' motor vehicle, the combination of a pair of vertically spacedparallel springs arranged transversely at one end of said vehicle, meansconnecting said springs midway their len th for holding them in spacedrelation, T- aped fittings pivotally connected with the ends of saidsprings and having their stems extending laterally outward, said stemsbeing hollow to form journals, driving wheels carried by said journals,Cardan shafts connected to drive said wheels, said shafts havinguniversal joint connections with said wheels.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED E. PARNACOTT.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. MAcKnNzm, WALTER 4Cnowrass.

